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The female osprey at the Stubbs Pond Nest
attempts to distract Audubon Volunteer Dick
Hughes from the business at hand.
Photo by Chris Martin
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Reversing a recent pattern of lackluster
productivity over the past few years,
Ospreys in New Hampshire in 2000 charted their
second-best breeding season on
record since monitoring by Audubon and the New
Hampshire Fish and Game
Department began two decades ago. A total of 40
young Ospreys fledged from 24
active nests this past summer. Unlike 20 years
ago, or even ten years ago, the
state's Osprey pairs are now widely distributed,
and nesting successfully, in
all four of the Granite State's major watersheds.
And this state-listed
threatened raptor's prospects for full recovery
and delisting now appear better
than ever, with the recent enlistment of an
important corporate friend to their
cause (see sidebar).
Breeding season results
The total 40 fledglings produced from 24 active
nests translates to an average
of 1.67 young per active nest, which is the
highest productivity ever
documented for Ospreys in the state. This summer's
results also are the
second-highest marks ever for total numbers of
successful nests (18) and for
fledglings (40). The 75% success rate for all
active nests is also the highest
on record. Productive nests in 2000 were
distributed across the state, with
nine in the Androscoggin River drainage, four
around Great Bay, three in the
Merrimack River drainage, and two more in the
upper reaches of the Connecticut
River. Ospreys nested in all regions of New
Hampshire except the southwest:
from Pittsburg in the far north to Newington near
the seacoast and to Hollis in
the state's southern tier.
In heronries and in clearcuts?!
Anyone interested in helping us locate and monitor
Osprey nests should be aware
that we are increasingly finding that Ospreys seem
particularly drawn to active
Great Blue Heron nesting colonies and to large
forest clearcuts where residual
snag trees remain and where fishable waters are
nearby. Six of eight new
Osprey nests discovered this summer were located
in such settings-five in
heronries and one in a clearcut. Nearly one third
(12 of 40) of this season's
fledglings came from these two nesting habitat
types.
Banding and contaminant data
For the second straight year, we partnered with
researchers from the
BioDiversity Research Institute to band Osprey
chicks and obtain blood samples
that will be analyzed for mercury and other
contaminants. So far, we have only
accessed one nest per year (the Battery Point nest
on Massabesic Lake in 1999,
the Stubbs Pond nest on the Great Bay NWR in
2000), but we hope to expand this
effort over the next few years. Thanks to our
friends at the Newington Fire
Department for offering to provide a really big
ladder!
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Project Osprey Partnership Announced
At the Massabesic Audubon Center this past April, leaders from Public Service
Company of New Hampshire (PSNH), the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game
(NHFG), and Audubon signed a formal agreement committing the three
organizations to work together in a new wildlife conservation partnership over
the next five years. This initiative, called Project Osprey, unites corporate,
government, and nonprofit sectors to enhance the recovery of the state's
threatened Osprey population and to promote greater public awareness in the
overall importance of healthy ecosystems to wildlife.
Having the proper equipment is helpful when
accessing osprey nests, like this one on a 40-foot
pole at Great Bay NWR.
Photo by Chris Martin
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The main goals of Project Osprey are to foster a self-sustaining Osprey
population, develop a comprehensive educational program, and promote the
partnership as a model for more such collaborative efforts among the business
community, state natural resource agencies, and nonprofit conservation
organizations. Highlights of the agreement include developing a state
management plan, installing 15 new nesting platforms, enhancing public viewing
opportunities, and creating an Osprey curriculum unit for middle and high
school students.
Partners to the agreement are contributing to the initiative in various ways.
PSNH is providing a generous grant of $100,000 over five years to support the
project, as well as heavy equipment and a range of staff expertise. NHFG brings
experience in wildlife biology, outdoor education, and the media. Audubon has
been coordinating Osprey monitoring, management, and volunteers for 20 years,
and our nature centers offer possible venues for public programming.
To learn more about Project Osprey and volunteer opportunities associated with
it, please contact Chris Martin at(603) 224-9909, ext. 317 or
cmartin@nhaudubon.org.
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